Invisible hinge and frame to be used for the same

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to an invisible hinge which is very easy to mount in a mortise and more particularly to a frame for invisible hinges formed so as to reduce the manufacturing cost and to simplify installation in mortises.

United States Patent 1191 [111 3,805,323 Fukui Apr. 23, 1974 [5INVISIBLE HINGE AND FRAME TO BE 1,693,004 11/1928 Soss 16/164 USED FORTHE SAME 3,209,390 10/1965 Bassan 16/164 l,682,860 9/1928 Soss l6/l64[76] Inventor: Kamenosuke Fukui, 30,3-chome 3,611,474 10 1971 Meyer16/164 Midorigaoka, Yao, Japan [22] Filed: June 20, 1972 PrimaryExaminer-Bobby R. Gay [21] Appl' 26466l Assistant Examiner-Kenneth J.Dorner Attorney, Agent, or FirmMarkva & Smith [30] Foreign ApplicationPriority Data Mar. 31, 1972 Japan 47-32373 Mar. 31, 1972 Japan 47-38055Mar. 31, 1972 Japan 47-38056 57 A T C [52] US. Cl. 16/128 R, 16/164 511111.121 E05d 9/00 Thls memo" relates to mvlslble s Much Is 58 Field ofSearch 16/164, 157, 159, 163, very easy to mount in a mortise and moreParticularly 16/165 166, 128 29/1 1 to a frame for invisible hingesformed so as to reduce the manufacturing cost and to simplifyinstallation in [56] References Cited momses- UNITED STATES PATENTS1,668,137 5/1928 Anderson 16/128 R 5 Claims, 19 Drawing FiguresKATENTEWFR 23 m7:

SHEET 3 OF 4 FIG.

FIG.

FIG. 9..

INVISIBLE HINGE AND FRAME TO BE USED FOR THE SAME This invention relatesto invisible hinges in building hardware and more particularly to aframe for such in- V visible hinges.

' The conventional invisible hinge has been considered difficult tomount. It is an object of the present invention to provide an invisiblehinge which is simple and easy to mount.

The frame for prior art invisible hinges is made by cutting a brass barmaterial drawn to be of a convex cross-section. Therefore, not only thestep is complicated but also the production of waste chips duringcutting is so great that the yield from the material is about 60 percentwhich has increased the cost of manufacture.

Further, particularly in the structure of a small invisible hinge,laminated rib plates are set between frames made by bending metalplates, fitting plates are projected on the frames and fitting holes aremade on these fitting plates. However, the required mortises have beendifficult to make.

A link hinge described in Japanese utility model application publicationNo. 16811/1966 is designed to eliminate such problems. But this hinge isso complicated to make as to be expensive. Further, as it is to be fixedonly by expanding a part of a cylindrical body, there has been a problemin the mounting strength.

As in the above, there have been many problems with invisible hinges.

A main object of the present invention is to provide an invisible hingewherein the conventional fitting by means of fitting plates projectingout of frames is eliminated, a disk-shaped bottom is formed in the frameand fitting holes are made in this bottom so that the hinge may besimply fitted by merely making a circular hole of the same diameter asof the disk-shaped bottom.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a frame for aninvisible hinge wherein a metal or plastic substance is molded to be ofa channel-shaped crosssection, the outside of each of both side platesis made a flat surface or curved surface, a proper number of wood screwfitting holes are made on the bottom plate from the side of the concavepart of the frame and no projecting part for making fitting holes isprovided at all on the outer periphery of the frame so that the materialmay be saved, the manufacturing cost may be greatly reduced and thetimed required for fitting may be reduced.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a frame for aninvisible hinge wherein the fitting of an invisible hinge is made simpleand easy and the fitting strength is increased.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an elevation of an invisible hinge according to the presentinvention;

FIG. 2.is a plan view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a developed view of a frame for invisible hinges according tothe present invention;

FIG. 5 is an assembled view of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6a is an elevation of a frame according to the present invention;

FIG. 6b is a side view of FIG. 6a;

FIG. 60 is a sectioned view on line Vlc-VI c in FIG. 6a;

FIG. 7a is an elevation of a frame according to another embodiment;

FIG. 7b is a side view of FIG. 7a; FIG. 7cis a sectioned view on lineVIIc-VIIc in FIG.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a frame of a further embodiment;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a frame of a further embodiment;

FIG. 10 is an elevation of an invisible hinge having a frame accordingto the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a plan view of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a side view of FIG. 1.0;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a frame;

FIG. 14 is a partly sectioned perspective view of a bottomed cylinder tobe used for the frame of the present invention;

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a circular mortisefor the invisiblehinge of the present invention.

. In an invisible hinge according to the present invention, a frame 1 isformed integrally of two side plates 2, a back plate 3 and a bottomplate 4. The side plate 2 is provided with a projecting tip 5. to securethe side and bottom plates to each other. The bottom plate 4 is providedwith a fitting hole 6 in a position deviated or eccentric from itscenter 7.

Further, each of the side plates 2 is provided with a concave groove 8into which a sliding pin 13 is inserted and separately with a fixed pin12. The fixed pin 12 and sliding pin 13 are connected respectivelythrough rib plates 9 through a center shaft 10.

In FIG. 4 the bottom plate 4 continuously projects out of one end of theback plate 3. The size of the bottom plate 4 is so determined that theframe I as mounted .on the bottom plate 4 may not protrude over the edgeof the bottom plate 4. The diameter of the bottom plate 1 is determinedto be the same as the diameter of an augur bit used to drill the mortise16.

The fitting hole 6 is made in a position deviated or eccentric from thecenter 7 of the bottom plate 4. If it is made as deviated to the outsidewith respect to the center shaft 10 of the rib plates 9 as illustrated,it will be easy to screw in a mounting screw 17.

Further, either by soldering or electric welding the tips 5 of the sideplates 2 are secured to the bottom plate 4 or the tips 5 may be passedthrough the bottom plate 4 and may be bent and fixed on the back surfaceof the bottom plate 4.

It is not different at all from any conventional invisible hinge that,in the invisible hinge of the present invention, the rib plates .9laminated in the form of an X have the fixed pin 12, sliding pin 13 andcenter shaft 10 as respective fulcra so that the frame 1 may hinge toopen and close.

In fitting the conventional invisible hinge, a hole to receive the frame1 and a very shallow groove to receive the fitting plate must be maderespectively to accept the shapes of the elements to be received. Therefore, the fitting of such an invisible hinge has been considered torequire time and skill.

Now, in the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIGS. 6 to 9,the frame 21 of the invisible hinge is formed integrally of two sideplates 22 and a bottom plate 24 so that a cavity 27 may be providedbetween the side plates. A fitting hole 26 passing through its wall ismade in said bottom plate 24. A concave groove 28 is made on the insideof each side plate.

Also as mentioned above, if the frame fitting hole 26 is made asdeviated outward from the center line of the frame 21, it will be easyto screw in a fitting screw 28.

Further, in case the outside of each side plate is to be made a curvedsurface, it may be made a semicylindrical surface of the same diameteras of the rotary blade of an auger or router bit. The frame 21 is madeby casting a metallic material, injection-molding a plastic material orpressing a metal plate. As required, it may be made by making both sideplates 22 and the bottom plate 24 separately and assembling them asshown in FIG. 8.

The concave groove 28 may be opened in only one direction as shown inFIGS. 6, 7 and 8 or may be opened above and below as shown at 38 in FIG.9.

The frame of a conventional invisible hinge has been made by cutting amaterial. In the process of making a frame of the material, the wasteportion caused by cutting and drilling reaches 36 percent by weight ofthe material and has been a substantial expense.

Further, in relation to FIGS. 1 to 5, the improvement of the frame forthe invisible hinge according to the present invention shall be detailedin FIGS. to 15.

In this embodiment, the frame 41 shown in FIG. 13

is fitted into a cavity 59 of a cylinder 52 closed at one end. Thecavity 59 of the closed cylinder 22 is made to be of the same shape andsize as of the frame 41 so that the frame 41 may snugly fit in thecylindrical cavity 59. Further, the positions of both fitting hole 46and through hole 20 are so determined that they correctly coincide witheach other. The fitting hole 46 in the bottom plate 44 is countersunkbut the through hole 50 made in the cylinder bottom 51 need not becountersunk.

The frame 41 may be fitted removably or secured with a binder in thecylindrical cavity 59 or the closed cylinder 52 may be molded by jettinga plastic substance around the frame 41.

In fitting this hinge, a circular mortise 56 is made, for example, in adoor 53 with an auger bit, the frame 41 is fitted into the cylindricalcavity 59 of the cylinder 52, said cylinder is inserted into thecircular mortise 56 and a fitting screw 58 is merely screwed in thorughthe fitting hole 46 in the bottom plate 44 of the frame 41 and thethrough hole 50 in the 51 bottom 59 of the cylinder 52 to complete thefitting of the hinge. Therefore, the operation is very simple. Further,as the frame 41 of the present invention is screwed to the door 53 withthe fitting screw 58, its fitting strength is higher than of the alreadydescribed link hinge.

As the invisible hinge of FIGS. 1-5 is of such structure as is mentionedabove, in hinging the door 15, a mortise 16 is made with an auger bithaving the same diameter as of the bottom plate 4 in each of the doorand jamb 14, the frame 1 is inserted into the mortises 16 and thefitting screw 17 is only screwed in through the fitting hole 6 in thebottom plate 4. Therefore, the fitting of the hinge is very simple andthere is an advantage that a difficult mortise need not be made.

Further, as the bottom plate 4 is fitted in thecircular mortise 16 butthe fitting hole 6 is in a position deviated outward from the center 7of the bottom plate 4, the bottom plate 4 will not rotate in the mortise16 and will be able to be fixed more positively than in case the fittinghole 6 is made in the center 7 of the bottom plate 4.

Moreover, if the frame for the invisible hinge of the present inventionis used, the rectangular mortise may only be made and therefore notrouble is required in fitting. If a curved surface is made on theoutside of each side plate as shown in FIG. 6, the mortise will be ableto be simply made by only cutting with a chisel the two circular holesmade with an auger bit.

Thus the invisible hinge using the frame 1 of the present invention islower in manufacturing cost and simpler and easier to fit than anyconventional invisible hinge.

As mentioned above, in the conventional invisible hinge, a convexmortise has had to be made and the fitting has been difficult but, ifthe outside diameter of the cylinder 52 is made the same as the standarddiameter of the blade of such tool for making circular holes as an augeror router bit in the present invention, the fitb. a back platebent'substantially perpendicular to said bottom plate along saidstraight portion of the periphery of the bottom plate,

0. a pair of side plates bent substantially perpendicular to said backplate along opposite substantially parallel edges of said back platewhereby said side plates are substantially parallel and said bottomplate is substantially perpendicular to said side plates,

d. means securing the edge of each of said side plates to a surface ofsaid bottom plate forming a chamber enclosed on three sides by said sideplates and bottom plate for securing and receiving said plurality ofcontiguous rib plates, and

e. an aperture in said bottom plate eccentrically located with respectto the circular periphery thereof for receiving a screw,

f. whereby the hinge butt may be secured by a single screw againstrotation in a cylindrical mortise having substantially the same diameteras the circular periphery of said bottom plate.

2. The invisible hinge butt of claim 1 wherein each of said side platesincludes an aperture for securing one end of a fixed pivot pin extendingfrom a portion of said plurality of rib plates and channel means forslidably engaging and guiding movement of a further pin extending fromthe remaining portion of said plurality of rib plates, said aperturesand channel means being in alignment.

3. The invisible hinge butt of claim 2 further comprising a housingincluding a cylindrical wall with an end wall closing one end thereof,the inside diameter of said cylindrical wall being substantially thesame as the diameter of the circular periphery of said bottom wall, saidbottom, back and side plates being contained within said housing withsaid bottom plate contiguous with the interior surface of said end wall,said end wall including an aperture aligned with the aperture in saidback plate.

4. An invisible hinge comprising:

a. a plurality of rib plates,

b. means pivotally securing said plates in contiguous relationshipintermediate their ends, and

c. a pair of hinge butts each formed from a single piece of sheet metaland adapted to be secured in a cylindrical mortise,

d. each of said hinge butts comprising e. a bottom plate, a majorportion of the periphery of which is substantially circular and a minorportion of the periphery of which is substantially straight,

f. a back plate bent substantially perpendicular to said bottom platealong said straight portion of the periphery of the bottom plate,

g. a pair of side plates bent substantially perpendicular to said backplate along opposite substantially parallel edges of said back plate,whereby said side plates are substantially parallel and said bottomplate is substantially perpendicular to said side plates,

h. means securing the edge of each of said side plates to a surface ofsaid bottom plate forming a chamber enclosed on three sides by said sideplates and bottom plate for securing and receiving said plurality ofcontiguous rib plates,

pivot means extending between said side plates for securing a part ofsaid plurality of rib plates, channel means in each of said side platesand means slidably guided by said channel means extending from theremaining portion of said plurality of rib plates, and j. an aperture insaid bottom plate eccentrically located with respect to the circularperiphery thereof for receiving a screw,

k. whereby each of said hinge butts may be secured by a single screwagainst rotation in a cylindrical mortise having substantially the samediameter as the circular periphery of said bottom plate.

5. The invisible hinge of claim 4 wherein each of said butts furthercomprises a housing including a cylindrical wall with an end wallclosing one end thereof, the inside diameter of said cylindrical wallbeing substantially the same as the diameter of the circular peripheryof said bottom wall, said bottom, back and side plates being containedwithin said housing with said bottom plate contiguous with the interiorsurface of said end wall, said end wall including an aperture alignedwith the aperture in said back plate.

1. An invisible hinge butt for use with a plurality of contiguous ribplates in a hinge construction and adapted to be secured in acylindrical mortise, said butt being formed from a single piece of sheetmetal and comprising: a. a bottom plate, a major portion of theperiphery of which is substantially circular and a minor portion of theperiphery of which is subStantially straight, b. a back plate bentsubstantially perpendicular to said bottom plate along said straightportion of the periphery of the bottom plate, c. a pair of side platesbent substantially perpendicular to said back plate along oppositesubstantially parallel edges of said back plate whereby said side platesare substantially parallel and said bottom plate is substantiallyperpendicular to said side plates, d. means securing the edge of each ofsaid side plates to a surface of said bottom plate forming a chamberenclosed on three sides by said side plates and bottom plate forsecuring and receiving said plurality of contiguous rib plates, and e.an aperture in said bottom plate eccentrically located with respect tothe circular periphery thereof for receiving a screw, f. whereby thehinge butt may be secured by a single screw against rotation in acylindrical mortise having substantially the same diameter as thecircular periphery of said bottom plate.
 2. The invisible hinge butt ofclaim 1 wherein each of said side plates includes an aperture forsecuring one end of a fixed pivot pin extending from a portion of saidplurality of rib plates and channel means for slidably engaging andguiding movement of a further pin extending from the remaining portionof said plurality of rib plates, said apertures and channel means beingin alignment.
 3. The invisible hinge butt of claim 2 further comprisinga housing including a cylindrical wall with an end wall closing one endthereof, the inside diameter of said cylindrical wall beingsubstantially the same as the diameter of the circular periphery of saidbottom wall, said bottom, back and side plates being contained withinsaid housing with said bottom plate contiguous with the interior surfaceof said end wall, said end wall including an aperture aligned with theaperture in said back plate.
 4. An invisible hinge comprising: a. aplurality of rib plates, b. means pivotally securing said plates incontiguous relationship intermediate their ends, and c. a pair of hingebutts each formed from a single piece of sheet metal and adapted to besecured in a cylindrical mortise, d. each of said hinge butts comprisinge. a bottom plate, a major portion of the periphery of which issubstantially circular and a minor portion of the periphery of which issubstantially straight, f. a back plate bent substantially perpendicularto said bottom plate along said straight portion of the periphery of thebottom plate, g. a pair of side plates bent substantially perpendicularto said back plate along opposite substantially parallel edges of saidback plate, whereby said side plates are substantially parallel and saidbottom plate is substantially perpendicular to said side plates, h.means securing the edge of each of said side plates to a surface of saidbottom plate forming a chamber enclosed on three sides by said sideplates and bottom plate for securing and receiving said plurality ofcontiguous rib plates, i. pivot means extending between said side platesfor securing a part of said plurality of rib plates, channel means ineach of said side plates and means slidably guided by said channel meansextending from the remaining portion of said plurality of rib plates,and j. an aperture in said bottom plate eccentrically located withrespect to the circular periphery thereof for receiving a screw, k.whereby each of said hinge butts may be secured by a single screwagainst rotation in a cylindrical mortise having substantially the samediameter as the circular periphery of said bottom plate.
 5. Theinvisible hinge of claim 4 wherein each of said butts further comprisesa housing including a cylindrical wall with an end wall closing one endthereof, the inside diameter of said cylindrical wall beingsubstantially the same as the diameter of the circular perIphery of saidbottom wall, said bottom, back and side plates being contained withinsaid housing with said bottom plate contiguous with the interior surfaceof said end wall, said end wall including an aperture aligned with theaperture in said back plate.